Name: Croque monsieur
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 2
Ingredients: 4 slices from a white sourdough or crusty white -; 20g butter, melted -; 1 tsp Dijon mustard -; 100g grated gruyère -; 4 thin slices of great smoked ham -; 125ml milk -; 125ml cream -; 1 garlic clove, crushed -; 2 bay leaves -; 1 small onion, chopped -; 20g butter -; 20g plain flour -; 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard -; fresh nutmeg, grated -; 1 tsp Dijon mustard -; 1 tbsp mayonnaise -

Ingredients for - Croque monsieur

1. 4 slices from a white sourdough or crusty white

2. 20g butter, melted

3. 1 tsp Dijon mustard

4. 100g grated gruyère

5. 4 thin slices of great smoked ham

6. 125ml milk

7. 125ml cream

8. 1 garlic clove, crushed

9. 2 bay leaves

10. 1 small onion, chopped

11. 20g butter

12. 20g plain flour

13. 1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

14. fresh nutmeg, grated

15. 1 tsp Dijon mustard

16. 1 tbsp mayonnaise

How to cook deliciously - Croque monsieur

1 . Stage

First, make a perfect béchamel sauce. Put the milk, cream, garlic, bay leaves and onion in a small pan over a medium heat and stir together. Heat until nearly boiling, then turn the heat off and leave for 10 mins to infuse. Pass the liquid through a sieve and discard the bay and onion.

2 . Stage

Melt the butter with the flour in another pan and cook over a gentle heat until it smells biscuity. Gradually whisk in the warm milk and bring to a gentle boil, stirring regularly, then add the Dijon mustard, a little grating of fresh nutmeg and some seasoning. It should be a lovely thick creamy sauce with a deep flavour.

3 . Stage

Brush the slices of bread with melted butter. Place them on a baking tray and toast one side under a grill, buttered-side up, until golden. Take them out and heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

4 . Stage

Turn the bread over and spread each slice with a thin layer of Dijon, followed by a layer of the béchamel. Cover the sauce with grated gruyère, and then a slice of ham. Form the slices into two sandwiches, spread a thin layer of the sauce over the top slice and sprinkle more gruyère on top. Put the sandwiches in the oven and bake for 10-15 mins or until golden. Mix the mustard and mayo together and serve alongside.